OpenSimulator is an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source open source] project, and is powered by the community members that devote time and energy to the effort. There are many ways to participate and contribute to the community:

OpenSimulator is an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source open source] project, and is powered by the community members that devote time and energy to the effort. There are many ways to participate and contribute to the community:

OpenSimulator is an open source multi-platform, multi-user 3D application server. It can be used to create a virtual environment (or world) which can be accessed through a variety of clients, on multiple protocols. It also has an optional facility (the Hypergrid) to allow users to visit other OpenSimulator installations across the web from an account on a 'home' OpenSimulator installation.

OpenSimulator allows virtual world developers to customize their worlds using the technologies they feel work best - we've designed the framework to be easily extensible. OpenSimulator is written in C#, running both on Windows over the .NET Framework and on Unix-like machines over the Mono framework. The source code is released under a BSD License, a commercially friendly license to embed OpenSimulator in products. If you want to know about our development history, see History.

Out of the box, OpenSimulator can be used to simulate virtual environments similar to Second Life™, given that it supports the core of SL's messaging protocol. As such, these virtual worlds can be accessed with the regular SL viewers. However, OpenSimulator does not aim to become a clone of the Second Life server platform. Rather, the project pursues innovative feature development with an aspiration towards becoming the bare bones, but extensible, server of the 3D Web.

OpenSimulator is getting more stable as it approaches release 1.0, but we still consider it alpha software; so should you.

Features

Supports online, multi-user 3D environments as small as 1 simulator or as large as thousands of simulators.

Supports 3D virtual spaces of variable size within one single instance.

Supports multiple clients and protocols - access the same world at the same time via multiple protocols.

Create an OpenSimulator related project hosted on the Forge or elsewhere on the web. In the forge there are over a dozen registered projects, and it's a great way to further extend the OpenSimulator community.

Participate to open content creation for OpenSimulator. More details at Artist Home.